Heat Exchangers

Chapter 18

ChEN 4253

Terry A. Ring

Flow Patterns

• Parallel Flow

• Counter Current Flow

• Shell and Tube with baffles

• Cross Flow

Temperature Profiles

∆T = Approach Temperature

Heat

Exchanger

Temperature

Profiles

Flow Structure

Q=U A F ∆Tlm-counter

( )

( ) ( )( )

incoldinhot

incoldoutcold

incoldoutcold

outhotinhot

TT

TTS

TT

TTR

RRS

RRSR

RS

SR

F

−

−=

−

−=

+++−

+−+−−

−−

+=

112

112ln1

1

1ln1

2

2

2

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

• Series of Resistances

• Basis

– Inside

– Outside

( ) ( )[ ] ( )1

,, 1)ln(21)1(

−

++++= ofoioowiio

i

oifo RhDDDkhDDA

ARU

Inside

Tubes

Rf=fouling factors, inside and outside

See table 18.5 for range of U values for different cases.

Heat Transfer inside a tube

Turbulent000,10Re

700,16Pr7.0

esmooth tub,60/

PrRe027.0

14.0

3/18.0

>

<=<

>

==

f

p

w

b

f

k

C

DL

k

hDNu

µ

µµ

Also other correlations valid over wider ranges

Heat Transfer outside of Tube

000,100Re40

300Pr67.0

2.525.0

Pr)Re06.0Re4.0(

25.0

4.03/25.0

<<

<=<

<<

+==

f

p

w

b

w

b

f

k

C

k

hDNu

µ

µµ

µµ

Also other correlations valid over wider ranges

Thermal Conductivity

What Temperature Approach

• Heuristic 26.

– Near-optimal minimum temperature approaches

in heat exchangers depend on the temperature

level as follows: – 10°F or less for temperatures below ambient,

– 20°F for temperatures at or above ambient up to 300°F,

– 50°F for high temperatures,

– 250 to 350°F in a furnace for flue gas temperature above

inlet process fluid temperature.

Where are the Heat Exchangers?

What is happening in each

Octane Reaction

2C2H4 + C4H10 � C8H18

P= 20 psia, T=93C,

X=98% Conversion

TBP

C2H4 −103.7 °C

C4H10 +0.5 °C

C8H18 +125.52 °C

Where are the Heat Exchangers?

Heat Transfer With Phase

Change

• Tricky Problems

– Examples

• Reboiler on Distillation Unit

• Condenser on Distillation Unit

• Flash Units

• Boilers

A Word About Steam

• Simulator Assumptions

– Inlet – Saturated Vapor– Pressure

– 100% Vapor

– Outlet – Saturated Liquid

• Liquid Only Leaves via steam trap

– Pressure = Pin- ∆P (1.5 psi, Heuristic-31)

– 100% Liquid

Where are the Tricky

Heat Exchangers?

Condensation Heat Transfer

• Drop Wise Condensation

– Special Case

• Very High Heat Transfer

• 5 to 10 x Film Condensation

• Film Condensation

– Laminar4/13

)(4

)(

−

∆−==

xTT

kHg

k

xhNu

wvl

lvapvll

l

xx µ

ρρρ

Laminar to Turbulent Condensate

Flow

Boiling Heat Transfer Coefficient

Various correlations depending upon boiling mechanism

Highest Heat

Transfer Coef.

But hard to

control HX

operating here

Heuristic 28

• Boil a pure liquid or close-boiling liquid

mixture in a separate heat exchanger, using

a maximum overall temperature driving

force of 45 F to ensure nucleate boiling and

avoid undesirable (low h) film boiling.

Effective

Flow

Conditions

with

Boiling in

Thermo

siphon

Kettle (Re)Boiler Design

Aspen - Zone AnalysisProMax – Heat Release Increments

• Heuristic 29.

– When cooling and condensing a stream in a heat exchanger, a zone

analysis, described in Section 18.1, should be made to make sure

that the temperature difference between the hot stream and the cold

stream is equal to or greater than the minimum approach

temperature at all locations in the heat exchanger. The zone

analysis is performed by dividing the heat exchanger into a number

of segments and applying an energy balance to each segment to

determine corresponding stream inlet and outlet temperatures for

the segment, taking into account any phase change. A process

simulation program conveniently accomplishes the zone analysis.

Pressure Drop

& Flow Rate

• Laminar vs. Turbulent

– Heuristic 31.

• Estimate heat-exchanger pressure drops as follows:

– 1.5 psi for boiling and condensing,

– 3 psi for a gas,

– 5 psi for a low-viscosity liquid,

– 7-9 psi for a high-viscosity liquid,

– 20 psi for a process fluid passing through a furnace.

Controlling ∆P in Simulator

• Shell side– Nozzle diameter

• Inlet and Outlet

– Number of Baffles

– Tubes• Number, diameter, pitch, No. passes

• Tube side– Nozzle diameter

• Inlet and Outlet

– Tubes• Number, diameter, pitch, No. passes

Note interactions!

Shell Heads, Shell Type

• See ProMax Help/index “Shell, types”

HX Cost

• Size Factor HX Area

• CBase(6-2000)=exp[11.0545-0.9228*ln(A)+0.09861*ln(A)2]

• Purchase Price– CP-fob=FP(P)*FMaterial(A)*FL(L)*CBase*(CPI/394)

– CBM=FBM*CP-fob

– CBM=3.17*CP-fob

• Cost depends on HX Area

• Pumping Cost– Work = Q*∆P

Controlling A in Simulator

• A = Ntubes π Dtubes Ltubes

• Shell

– Shell Diameter and pitch determines Ntubes

• Tubes

– Dtubes

– Ltubes

– Tube pitch-The transverse pitch is the shortest distance from the center lines of two adjacent tubes.

– Tube pitch ratio 1.25 to 1.5 typically

Controlling U in a Simulator

• For a given heat duty and geometry - U determines the HX area

• Steps– Identify the controlling heat transfer resistance– ho-Manipulate the shell side Reynolds number

• Shell diameter

• Tube pitch

• Number of baffles

– hi-Manipulate the tube side Reynolds number• Tube diameter

• Number of tubes (shell diameter and tube pitch)

• Number of passes

– If odd things happen check to see that you have the same controlling heat transfer resistance

Note interactions!

Other Issues

• Materials of Construction

– Strength at temperature, life time, heat conduction,

fouling

• Design layout

– Tube pitch, baffles, tube and shell diameters

Heat Exchanger

Problems

• Temperatures Cross Each Other

– Non-functioning Exchanger

– To solve increase approach ∆T

• Condensation/Evaporation

– Heat transfer with multiple heat transfer coefficients in a single apparatus

• Various regimes of boiling

• Various regimes of condensation